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(No Model.)

W. A. BERNARD. GARMENT PASTENBR.

No. 432,177. Patented July 15. 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WVILLIAM A. BERNARD, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO BERNARD, IVAIJKER& RICE, OF SAME PLACE.

GARM ENT-FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 432,177, dated July 15,1890.

Application filed October 18, 1889. Serial No. 327,430. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. BERNARD, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and State of New York, have invented an Improvementin Garment-Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

Garment supporters or fasteners have been made of two jaws. Sometimesthese have been connected by pivots, and in other instances they havebeen made with spring-arms riveted or formed together at the distantends from the jaw.

My present invention relates to a garmentfastening in which the twoprincipal parts are pivoted together, so that the jaws may be opened orclosed, and one of the jaws is at the end of a spring that extends pastthe fulcrum that unites the jaws together, so that such spring is ofsufficient length to act freely in holding the garment that isintroduced between the jaws, and the spring accommodates differentthicknesses of material and allows the jaws to be parallel, or nearlyso, to each other, evenwhen different thicknesses of materials may bebetween the jaws.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the fastening asclosed. Fig. 2 is a similar view open; Fig. 3 is a plan of thegarment-fastening, and Fig. 4 is an end view of the same.

The two principal parts A and B of the fastening are made of sheetmetal. The part A has side flanges 2 2, between which is received alever-clamp 0, having end pivots 3 and teeth at 4, so that a strap,elastic, tape, or similar device introduced between the lever-clamp Oand the sides 2 2 of the plate A can be clamped by turning the lever 0down and bringing the teeth 4: forcibly into contact with such strap orstrip D. The part B of the fastening is formed with side bars 5, whichare pivoted at 6 to the sides or flanges 2 of the plate A, and there areincisions or separations at 7 between the flanges 2 and the body of theplate A, which incisions extend past the pivot 6 toward the lever-clampC, so as to form a spring tongue or jaw at the end portion of the plateor part A of the fastening. This jaw end is marked 8, and is preferablymade with a central opening or hole, as shown in Fig. 3. The jaw 9 uponthe part B of the fastening extends across between the side bars 5, andit is preferably made with a dome with points struck up in the sheetmetal that form claws to detain and hold the fabric of the garment whenplaced between the jaws 8 and 9, and the dome 011 the jaw 9 is smallenough to pass freely into the opening in the jaw 8, and the jaw 9 isstrengthened by a rib or flange 10 of the sheet metal bent downwardly atthe back edge of the jaw. The back ends of the side bars 5 are united bya cross-bar 12, which is preferably formed with a projecting tongue 13at the rear, which tongue passes down into a mortise or opening in theplate A, and there is a sliding clip E, the ends of which are passeddown. and turned up around the lower edges of the side flanges 2, andthis clip is free to be moved laterally over the tongue 13 to hold thesame in place when the jaws of the fastening are closed or to be drawnback for liberating such fastening. It will now be understood that thisfastening is adapted to shirt-sleeves, cravats, suspenders, or to formdrawer-supporters, or to be used to hold any portion of one garment toanother, and in consequence of the length of the part or plate Afrointhe jaw portion '8 to the end of the incisions 7 such plate is freeto spring and hold various thicknesses of garment to which the fastenermay be applied, and the jaws 8 and 9 will be parallel, or nearly so, toeach other, regardless of the thickness of material that may beintroduced between such jaws.

The clamping-lever C, with the teeth 4, allow for thisgarment-fastenil'ig being easily connected with a strap or tape or otherpart of theclothing, and for adjusting its position on such strapwithout requiring the fastening to be riveted, sewed, or permanentlyattached to the strap or other portion of the garment. By making a ribin the sheet metal around the jaw and extending back a greater or lessdistance on the plate the metal will be stiffened to obtain thenecessary strength and spring action in comparatively thin sheet metal.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a garment-fastener, the part A, havingthe side flanges 2 and the spring-jaw 8 between these side flanges, thepart B, having the cross-bar 12 at one end, the jaw 9 at the other end,and the side flanges 5, and the pivot-pin 6, passing through the sideflanges 2 and 5, and the sliding clip E for holding the jaws together,substantially as specified.

2. The garment-fastener having a part A, with flanges 2, and a jaWB,With side bars 5,pivoted to the flanges 2,in combination with thelever-clamp O, pivoted between the flanges 2, and the sliding clip E forholding the parts of the garment-fastening when closed, substantially asset forth.

3. In a garment-fastener, the part A, having the side flanges 2 and thejaw 8, and slotted longitudinally adjacent to the flanges to form thespring, the part B, having the crossbar 12 at one end, the jaw 9 at theother end, and the side flanges 5, and the pivot-pin 6, passing throughthe side flanges 2 and 5, substantially as specified.

Signed by me this 14th day of October, 1889.

WILLIAM A. BERNARD.

Witnesses:

GEO. T. PINCKNEY, WILLIAM G. h IOTT.

